Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1887-01-28

i Z 'sy
in the kitchen. which was back of the
staircase caught her ear; low, hushed
voice but coming to her through the
stillness-the voice that had told her in
the evening that she was in danger.
She glided like spirit down the
stairs, along the wide old-fashioned
hall, and pausedi in the shadow, just with
out the kitchen door; and there she saw
what made her white teeth meet in de-
termination not to cry out, or faint; for
there were three men in the kitchen;
coarse, horrible fellows two of them
were, the third-Jin!
Jim, yet not the Jim she had known;
not the Jim who had hewn the wood
and drawn the water for them for
month; but Jim, standing straight and
tall before the others, a frown on his
forehead, his disfgured lips set in firm
lines of iron determination, his blue
eyes emitting flashes, before which the
others seemed to quail; and as she
listened, she found that he was COM
handing them, as one who had the
right to do so, to go quietly away, and
leave no trace behind them.
"Oh, come,. comrade, one said
swaggeringly, ''we won't spoil this
chance, even for you! We know what
we're about, and there's something
worth while picking up in this farm
house; there's money some place, and
that's what we want first; then, if we
see anything else worth picking up,
why, we pick it up: and we won't be
stopped by anybody. What's the
matter with you? You used to lead us
all in this sort of work..
..And 1 will again! But not tonight.
You will do nothing here; you under
stand me9''
ssGuess I don't, comrade, as I'm in
for work here and now" was the inso-
lent answer, and it was punished in
stantly, for Jim's right hand sprang
out from his side quick as flash and
felled the speaker to the floor with
noise quite enough to waken the seven
sleepers The ruffian, who had been
silent all along, rather shrank to cor
ner, and Jim followed him.
"Isthere anything more to be settled?''
he asked grimly. And the girl outside
uttered sharp. shrill cry, for she saw
the fallen burglar rise on his elbow, re-
volver in hand, and aim at the back of
the farmland, who had been willing to
protect her, but her cry ayailed moth
ing, for the report rang out with it,
and Jim staggered toward the wall.
both hands flung out as he fell;
| and Matte, unmindful of personal
| safety, unmindful of all save the
fact that murder had been done before
| her eyes, darted in from the hall and
knelt, with the revolver still in her
hand, over the PROSTATE man; by tins
time the one he had struck down had
regained his feet
..Stand where you are, both of you!''
he girl cried fearlessly. .'Whicheyer
moves step VIII dis!''
And st that moment Farmer Lee
strobe in through the way which had
been opened by the ruffans, followed
by two men, evidently officers. In the
excitement their approach had not been
noticed. Now the girl allowed the
weapon to fall from her fingers, and
held out her arms to her father.
''Oh, save me papa! save me!' she
cried, and her father went and lifted
her in his arms, while the strangers
covered the burglars Mith their
weapons.
"~T5 are Fortunate one Of them
said; '.we traced one here and we find
three: Hold out tour hands my
friend.''
| There s7as no demur from the two
surprised rufians as they were deity
handcufed. Then the officers turned
to the wounded Jim; they found him
dying. the blood flowing from a wound
near his heart.
| YOU'RE done for, my fine fellow
one of them said, rather carelessly;
''you have escaped long sentence.
my friend
Matte who was weeping in her
fathers arms, heard the words and
came forward.
"Will he-will he die?' she asked
shudderingly.
"He is dying now
She knelt down, and her tears fell.
on the SCARED face.
'.Oh, am so sorry! Can do any
thing for you? You are dying because
you would protect US! will pray for
YOU she said brokerly. The glazing
eyes took for an instant that gloriuuS
light.
Il loved you: forgive me-, he whis-
pered; and moment later he was dead.
The worst and most desperate of
the gang; the head of it, in fact one
of the officers said; '.there are more
crimes against him than could count
but his death was NOBLE Matte
whispered softly.
Later her father told her how it
CHANGED that he arrived so OPPORTUNITY,
how the detectives had come to him in
all that storm to warn him that they
suspected his farmland of being one
whom they had long sought, and ask
ing him to accompany them back to his
farm, that he might not escape; how
thew had lost no time and had arrived